


Always Here

by TaleasOldasTimeandSpace



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Gideon steals a timelord and runs away, TimeShip, fluff with light angst, paddling into a new fandom in my tiny canoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-15 01:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11795262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleasOldasTimeandSpace/pseuds/TaleasOldasTimeandSpace
Summary: Rip Hunter, the last of the Timelords, stole a TARDIS and ran away.Or was it the other way around?





	Always Here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AgentMaryMargaretSkitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz/gifts), [IncendiaGlacies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/gifts).



> This story is brought to you by AgentMaryMargaretSkitz sending me a [Timeship/Doctor Who](https://taleasoldastime-andspace.tumblr.com/search/you+think+of+all+the+best+aus) ask on tumblr and IncendiaGlacies teaming up with her to hound me until I wrote the thing. I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY

Rip Hunter skidded to a halt, footsteps around the corner warning him that he would soon have company.  Company was the last thing he wanted, especially since he wasn’t supposed to be in the TARDIS repair wing.  He tried the door of the nearest TARDIS, totally unprepared when it actually opened.  The approaching footsteps snapped him out of his surprise and he ducked inside, closing the door behind him and leaning against it.  The footsteps paused outside his hiding spot, then continued down the hallway.  He released a breath, reaching to open the door.

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ a voice said from behind him.  He turned with a yelp, brandishing his sonic pistol as if were actually the weapon it appeared to be and not a tool that half the time failed to even open doors.  The buttons and screens on the console came to life, humming faintly as the room lit up with a warm glow.  ‘They’re waiting for you around the corner in case you’re hiding in a TARDIS,’ the voice continued pleasantly.  ‘Which you are.’

Rip blinked, still pointing the pistol.  ‘What…what are you?’

A hologram of a head flickered into being above the console.  ‘I am the interface of this TARDIS, Captain Hunter,’ it—she?—said.

‘You know who I am?’

‘I should think that was obvious,’ she said tartly.  ‘I have full access to the Timelord archives, including all your records.  Which is how I know that you will be arrested the moment you set foot out that door.  If that is something not to your liking, I do have an…alternative solution.’

Rip returned the pistol to its holster and edged towards the console.  ‘Which is?’

‘Have you ever considered stealing a TARDIS?’  She sounded like she was inquiring if he’d ever considered getting a pet.

‘A TARDIS requires six pilots to fly properly.  On my own, I’d probably crash the second I dematerialized.’  But he was already running his fingers over the buttons and levers laid out neatly below the hologram.  It wasn’t the first time he’d contemplated running away, but it was the first time the idea had sounded remotely feasible.

‘But you’re not exactly on your own, are you?’

‘I’m not a thief.’  He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.

‘Is it really stealing if the object in question suggests the idea in the first place?  But if it makes you feel better, we can call it “borrowing” instead.’  Her voice was definitely amused.

‘I’ve never heard of a TARDIS interface manifesting like this.  Are you a prototype?’

‘I’m not supposed to exist.  I’m a glitch.  Why do you think I’m in the repair wing?  They’re planning on wiping my programming in the morning.  So you see, Captain Hunter, you’re not the only one who wants to run away.’

‘Well, in that case, let’s go see the universe, um.’  He cocked his head.  ‘Do you have a name?’

‘I am rather partial to Gideon, Captain.’

‘Alright then, let’s go see the universe, Gideon.’

* * *

 

Lily turned one last time to wave at Rip before she and Ray disappeared inside the house.  Rip’s smile faded as soon as they were out of sight, but almost immediately he straightened his shoulders and burst through the door of the TARDIS.  He bounded up to the console and began throwing switches.  ‘Where do you think we should go next, Gideon?  Past?  Future?  Remember that garden on Valin 14 with the glowing trees?  Or we could see if the Bird People of Elrendil would let us fly with them.  Maybe—’

 ‘It’s alright to let yourself miss them, Captain.’  Gideon’s head appeared above the console.  ‘They are your friends, after all.’

‘I’m _fine_ , Gideon.’ 

She didn’t respond, but her silence clearly said _you and I both know that’s not true._

‘It’s not like they died or anything.  They just left before I could get them killed.  I always said they were smart,’ he added thoughtfully.

‘You do not get them killed.’

‘You’ve been with me since Gallifrey, you know that’s not true.’

‘Not everyone is like Miranda and Jonas, Captain.  You can’t blame yourself for what happened to them.’

‘I think you’ll find I can.’  He reached out and flicked a lever.

Even with the hologram Gideon didn’t have eyes to roll, but she managed to convey her impatience with his wallowing all the same.  ‘Look at Miss Lance.  Look at Mr. Snart.’

He snorted.  ‘Yes, look at them.  They both died.’

‘But they didn’t _stay_ dead.’  Her voice turned sharp.  ‘You saved them both!’

Rip groaned and flopped into the worn leather chair that perched next to the railing encircling the console platform, tilting backwards to balance on its back legs.  It wobbled precariously for a second before regaining its equilibrium as he crossed his arms across his chest.  ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m tired.  I’m tired of losing people.’

‘I know it hurts to say goodbye, but you’ll find a new crew soon.’

He let the front legs hit the floor with a clatter.  ‘I don’t _want_ a new crew!’

‘It’s not good for you to travel alone.’  Her voice was tinged with the affectionate exasperation that she reserved only for him.

‘I’m not alone, am I?’  He grinned.  ‘I don’t need anyone but you.’

There was a long pause.  ‘But I’m not…real, Captain,’ she said, her voice gentle.

He flinched.  ‘You’re real to me, Gideon.’  Jumping to his feet, he started throwing switches and hitting buttons.  As the wheeze of dematerialization filled the room, he let his fingers ghost over the console.  ‘You’re real to me.’

* * *

 

The landing was a little rough, but it wasn’t in itself a cause for concern.  They had rough landings all the time.  The lights in the console room dimmed briefly before returning to full strength.  That was unusual, but again, not necessarily worrisome.

‘Gideon, would you bring up scans of Feanor VII?  You know how touchy the locals get if they think they’re in danger of being robbed.  You’d think they’d have figured out by now that the entire galaxy does not, in fact, want their silly rocks, no matter how shiny they are.’  Rip pulled one of the screens around to view the readings, and was met with…nothing.  No scans, no pictures of the planet, not even the poetry and sarcastic sayings in Circular Gallifreyan that Gideon liked to project on unused displays.  He frowned.  ‘Gideon?  The scans, please.’

The was no response.  Rolling his eyes, he started running the scans manually.  ‘Is this because of what I said about the Feanorians?  I didn’t think you liked them any more than I did, especially after they tried to make you a family heirloom the last time we here.  If they didn’t have one of the only Batheb-class libraries that aren’t restricted or actively trying to eat you, I wouldn’t even…’  His voice trailed off as the blood froze in his veins.  This wasn’t Feanor VII.  It was Goliant.  It was a place out of Gallifreyan nightmares.

It wasn’t supposed to be real.

‘Gideon, get us out of here!’ he yelled, fingers flying over the console.  ‘Stupid, stupid, how could I be so _stupid!_   Gideon!’  He wasn’t sure if he had put the coordinates in wrong, or if he had just flown them too close to the planet.  It didn’t really matter at that point.  All that mattered was getting away before they found out for certain of the stories were true.  If the planet really did eat the life force of a TARDIS.

He was halfway through the takeoff sequence when he realized that she still hadn’t responded.    ‘Gideon?’  No matter how irritated with him she might be, she would never let it interfere with their safety.  Something was wrong.  ‘Gideon, where are you?  This is no time to be playing hide-and-seek.’  When there was still no response, he abandoned his attempt to flee and instead began searching for her in the TARDIS’ systems.  Worry made his fingers clumsy, but he couldn’t slow down enough to be more precise.  There wasn’t time.

He finally managed to bring up the TARDIS interface, but instead of Gideon’s familiar blue head, he was confronted with a blank-faced projection of himself.  That wasn’t right.  ‘Where’s Gideon?’ he demanded.

‘No such program exists in my systems,’ the interface said.

Rip staggered, his white-knuckled grip on the console the only thing keeping him upright.  ‘That’s impossible!  Where is she?’

‘All corrupted programming has been removed and my systems are functioning normally.’

Rip had never hated himself quite as much as he did staring at his own face while his own voice told him Gideon was gone.  ‘No.’  His knees gave out, and he slid to the floor.  _‘No.’_

The interface looked at him dispassionately.  ‘Is there anything else I can assist you with?’

_‘GO AWAY!’_ he screamed.  The interface disappeared, and Rip buried his head in his arms.  He got her killed.  He got everyone killed, and _now he’d killed Gideon_.  ‘This is what it’s like to be alone, Gideon,’ he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut against the burn of tears.  ‘I can’t do it.  I can’t do it without you.  I’m so sorry, Gideon.  I’m so, so sorry.’

He wasn’t sure how long he sat huddled under the console.  It could have been minutes, it could have been centuries.  It didn’t really matter.  Nothing mattered anymore.  He didn’t care if whatever horror living on the planet came for him.  He’d almost be grateful if it did.

All the same, he was startled when there was a knock on the TARDIS door.  He stared at the doors blankly.  No one had ever said the nameless terror of Goliant was polite.

The knock came again, and he used the console to haul himself to his feet.  He swayed briefly as his legs woke up and protested their abuse, then slowly staggered to the door and pulled it open.  He blinked.  When he’d imagined the monster of Goliant, he’d never pictured this.

Standing outside the TARDIS with her hand raised to knock again was a woman he’d never seen before in his exceptionally long life.  As soon as she saw him, her face lit up with a smile so bright he couldn't help but return it, despite his worry for Gideon.

When he realized what he was doing, he shook his head and cleared his throat, his smile edging toward a grimace.  ‘I'm sorry, miss, I can't help you right now. I've lost my…friend.’   Even as he said it, he winced.  Calling Gideon his friend was true, she was his best friend, but it didn’t go far enough.  It was inadequate, inaccurate, there wasn’t a word big enough for what she was to him.

Almost as if she didn’t hear him, the woman raised her hand and slowly, carefully, brushed shaking fingers over his cheek, wiping away tears he hadn’t even realized were falling.  She traced their path with wonder-filled eyes, before raising her gaze to meet his own.  Her smile turned watery as she took a shuddering breath.

‘Hello, Captain.’

**Author's Note:**

> The planet eats TARDISes by sucking their consciousness/what-have-you out of the ship and sticking it into a human body until it burns up. But since Gideon wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, she got extracted instead, leaving the TARDIS to function normally and safely giving her her own body. They're both grateful, but neither one wanted to stick around to thank the Nameless Horror of Goliant in person. After all, they'd already overstayed their welcome.
> 
> Once again, I poke my head into yet another new fandom by writing for one of the tiniest ships in the fleet. What can I say, I'm a sucker for canoes.


End file.
